Cachexia is a syndrome characterized by weight loss resulting from a reduction of body mass (both lean body and fat mass) that is not caused by malnutrition or starvation. Cachexia occurs with many types of chronic diseases, including cancer, where it is associated with mortality and decreased survival time. About half of all cancer patients develop cachexia, particularly in cases of lung cancer, pancreatic cancer and cancers of the upper gastrointestinal tract. Patients with cachexia suffer from such negative effects as anemia, immunodepression, asthenia, physical weakness, and mental fatigue. In addition, patients with cachexia are more susceptible to dose-limiting chemotoxicity, and the degree of weight loss in cachexia patients is positively correlated with mortality.
In view of the high incidence of cancer in the United States and throughout the world, there is a substantial and immediate need for effective therapeutic agents and methods for treating cachexia in cancer patients.